You Oughta Know
Alanis Morissette Lyrics


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I want you to know, that I am happy for you
I wish nothing but the best for you both
An older version of me
Is she perverted like me?
Would she go down on you in a theater?
Does she speak eloquently
And would she have your baby?
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother

'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Wasn't able to make it enough for you
To be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me
You'd hold me until you died
'Til you died, but you're still alive

And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

You seem very well, things look peaceful
I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know
Did you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity?
I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner
It was a slap in the face
How quickly I was replaced
And are you thinking of me when you fuck her?

'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Wasn't able to make it enough for you
To be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me
You'd hold me until you died
'Til you died, but you're still alive

And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

'Cause the joke that you laid in the bed
That was me and I'm not gonna fade
As soon as you close your eyes, and you know it
And every time I scratch my nails
Down someone else's back I hope you feel it
Well, can you feel it?

Well I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

Well I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me




Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Alanis Morissette's hit song "You Oughta Know" are a raw and emotional examination of a woman coping with the aftermath of a breakup. The opening lines are straightforward enough; the singer expresses her sincerity in wishing her ex-lover nothing but happiness in the aftermath of their separation. The next lines, however, are much more complicated! The singer's mind is on her ex's new girlfriend and what she must be like. She wonders if the current girlfriend is like her, perverted and would she do the things with him in public that she herself did. The questions become progressively more intimate, with the singer even wondering if her ex's new girlfriend would speak eloquently or if they would have a baby together.


The central theme of "You Oughta Know" is a song about anger, regret, and betrayal. The pain of the singer is palpable as she sings about the love she lost and how she feels that her ex-boyfriend replaced her quickly with someone new. She confronts him on his duplicity and the way he treated her during the breakup. The lyrics are unflinching, and the song's raw emotion has resonated with countless fans over the years. The final lines of the song are particularly powerful, with the singer metaphorically saying that every time her ex thinks about her, she hopes he feels her pain.


Line by Line Meaning

I want you to know, that I am happy for you
I want you to acknowledge my existence and how much I have grown after you left, and I am not resentful of your new relationship.


I wish nothing but the best for you both
I want you to be happy with your new lover.


An older version of me
I used to be naive and submissive, and I am not that person anymore.


Is she perverted like me?
Is your new lover as experimental and daring in bed as I was for you?


Would she go down on you in a theater?
Would she perform sexual acts on you in public like I did?


Does she speak eloquently
Does she possess the intelligence and articulation that I lacked?


And would she have your baby?
Is she capable of giving you a child?


I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother
She has the potential to be a great mother.


'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Our relationship lacked genuine love and was mostly physical.


Wasn't able to make it enough for you
Our relationship lacked the depth and commitment that you desired.


To be open wide, no
Our relationship lacked emotional intimacy.


And every time you speak her name
Every mention of your new lover reminds me of my failure to make you happy.


Does she know how you told me
Does your new lover know about our past relationship and the things you said to me?


You'd hold me until you died
You promised to love me unconditionally for the rest of your life.


And I'm here, to remind you
I am here to make sure you never forget the pain you caused me.


Of the mess you left when you went away
The emotional turmoil and scars you left behind after you left.


It's not fair, to deny me
It's unjust for you to reject my feelings and pretend like our past relationship didn't happen.


Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You gave me emotional baggage that I am still carrying.


You, you, you oughta know
You need to be aware of the pain you caused me.


You seem very well, things look peaceful
You appear to be content with your new relationship.


I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know
I am still healing and struggling to move on from our past relationship.


Did you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity?
Are you pretending like our past relationship never happened while enjoying a new relationship?


I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner
I apologize for disrupting your current happy moment.


It was a slap in the face
Your quick replacement of me hurt me to my core.


How quickly I was replaced
You moved on from our relationship with startling speed.


And are you thinking of me when you fuck her?
Do you still compare your new lover to me during sex?


Well, can you feel it?
Do you experience the pain that you caused me every time I move on to a new lover?


Well I'm here, to remind you
I am here to make sure you never forget the pain you caused me.


Of the mess you left when you went away
The emotional turmoil and scars you left behind after you left.


It's not fair, to deny me
It's unjust for you to reject my feelings and pretend like our past relationship didn't happen.


Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You gave me emotional baggage that I am still carrying.


You, you, you oughta know
You need to be aware of the pain you caused me.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Glen Ballard, Alanis Nadine Morissette

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@KarlRock

Jagged Little Pill is one of the best albums of the 90s. I played the shit out of it. Still love it today. This song still blows me away every time, it's so powerful.

@dixoncider4915

So much this!!

@mc3dogs481

Yeh it's really good Indian pewdiepie

@bigfish74f

Iy was only a few weeks ago whilst on youtube that she popped up and i remembered how good she really was good ols fashioned music with a normal voice no help needed with her

@VeraCasaca

JLP is a masterpiece.

@darrenspence2516

I am with you on this

92 More Replies...

@lara4life656

I work with a couple teenagers. One girl plays this album nonstop. She was born when I was about 35. This album was released my sophomore year. Always be proud of this album, Alanis.

@jessedavis1741

Ya, this album is incredible! The emotion, you just can’t match it!!!

@fungdark8270

That’s so cool, give her a high five for me

@LukeXuanNguyen

Hi how are you doing

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